Monday, July 27, 2020
Days Without a Laptop
Days Without a Laptop⦠Today is Day 5, after my laptop refused to boot after turning on early last Wednesday morning. In these last five days, I feel like Ive experienced the five stages of grief (one of the few things I managed to retain from high school Health) DENIAL: No this CANNOT be happening to a Mac. I have a Macbook Pro for goodness sakes!! ANGER: What do you mean you cant fix it? Do you really work for the Apple Store? BARGAINING: What do you mean I need to pay $1,200 to fix it? Im still covered under AppleCare! DEPRESSION: After sending the Mac to a third-party Apple Authorized Repair person. I dont think Ive been physically separated from my computer for so long (except non-working vacations or trips). ACCEPTANCE: Well, I guess I might have to look into a new computer. Ill hear back from them about the status of my computer tomorrow, but if it costs more than $300 to fix (I think it may be a motherboard issue), Ill probably just get a new computer. I hope I at least get all my files (five semesters worth of essays and music!!) back though!! :( Haha so this is what happens after your laptop dies at MIT. I feel like this is almost a side-effect from being here for so long you become tethered to your computer through your daily life. Case in point walk into any common lounge at MIT where a group of people are clustered watching a movie on TV, and youll see open laptops although their owners are still very much engaged in watching the movie. Walk into any communal psetting area, and youll see laptops dispersed throughout the sea of papers. Although it says somewhere that MIT students can theoretically get by without owning a laptop, I have to say that that probably takes great moral fortitude in its own way. MIT probably has a higher number of computer labs dispersed throughout campus (we call them Athena clusters based on the name of the computing system that the computers run) than any other college, and clusters also exist likewise in all MIT dorms. However, I feel except for diehard Course VI majors, personal laptops have really taken over the scene and is most definitely the norm now for most MIT students after its wide availability in the previous decade. (wow I sound so old after writing that word) That, and factor in the incredible wireless network that MIT has (i read somewhere that we have the fastest, broadest-coverage wireless network in any university in the US perhaps even the world. i usually can get MIT signal in even peripheral buildings in Cambridge like the Marriott Hotel in Kendall Square). Anywhoo, for me personally, the only inconvenience that I can (or cannot, really) whine about is physical proximity. Im the odd pure science + humanities major in a school full of engineers, so I never had to sit down in a Athena cluster chugging away at Matlab, Maple, Python, or the like (fact: in my 5 semesters here at MIT so far, I have only used Matlab for assignments twice, and the only regular Athena commands that I know how to do is pine (to check email), zephyr (to IM, once in a blue moon), tellme combo (to figure out the darned code to the Athena clusters every time it changes), and lpq (to check printer status)). All of the other times I spent in Athena clusters involve using OpenOffice Word Processor (we dont have Microsoft Word on Athena) and Firefox. Haha. Im probably a terrible MIT student. You can laugh at me now. (the irony is I used to be quite proficient in Python back in my junior year of high school because of SSP. kids, its a great program, apply to it!!!!) But in all seriousness, Im taking four history classes this term and Ive never really realized the convenience of being able to type an essay in the comfort of ones own room or research the Russian Land Decree of 1917 in the common lounge rather than being holed away in a barren Athena cluster (although I must say this GREATLY helps with productivity, since there are no speakers on these computers so you cant get distracted with music or youtube). So far, Ive spent six or seven hours in the New House Athena cluster these last few days drafting summer internship applications and writing essays for my history classes. I must admit this had been a really new experience, but Im still feeling some withdrawal effects. So if youre a MIT student and doesnt own a laptop, I commend you from the bottom of my heart. ps. Valentines Day pictures will have to wait till I figure out the status of my laptop pps. No pretty pictures this time :( ppps. US WINS IN MENS HOCKEY OVER CANADA!
Friday, May 22, 2020
Analysis of composite cans project for westfield - Free Essay Example
Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2239 Downloads: 3 Date added: 2017/06/26 Category Marketing Essay Type Narrative essay Did you like this example? Composite can are manufactured from convolutedly or spirally owned plies of paperboard with labels and liners of foil, plastic or paper. The major advantage of composite cans is that they offered definite cost advantage. For can manufacturers, they were less expensive to fabricate than material and glass container. Donââ¬â¢t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Analysis of composite cans project for westfield" essay for you Create order The composite cans could be produced at a rate of 24000 per hour. No proprietary technology was employed in the manufacture of composite cans. Companies competed on quality, service, and packaging innovation. Price was already low less than one half can per cent. There was little room for price wars. Packaging innovation was either developed internally or at the instance of a customer. Customers allows try to introduce their product at a differentiated form. So as to insure competitive advantage then other competitors and to insure cost saving. The outside packaging was usually the first thing the consumer saw of the product were making the decision of which the product to buy. The package had to be easily filed and functional in holding the product without product without package or product deterioration. The composite can satisfied a majority of these characteristics requirement. It met customers need for a strong, lightweight alternative to metal and glass containers and could take advantage of high speed filling equipment with minimal changeover cost. Criteria of project selection When any project is evaluated, Westfield maintains the following criteria: 1) Westfield requires a 15% after tax return on investment. 2) Pricing should cover the following cost: variable and manufacturing cost, plant fixed cost, marketing, technical and administrative cost (MTA), and recovery of initial capital outlay. 3) Westfield used a straight line depreciation period of eight years and allocated MTA as 5 percent of net sales. 4) Account receivable and inventory averaged 25% days of sales and 50 day of cost of goods sold, respectively. Critical Analysis of the Project People: Every organization is the group of people striving to achieve common goal. People are the blood of every organization. So it is very important to select good and effective people those can achieve the organizations goal. This people must be directed by the efficient leader. By analyzing people composition of the company is quite good. It is the third largest company of its industry. It is lead by right people. Project management: A successful Project Manager must effectively manage the resources assigned to the project. This includes the labor hours of the designers, the builders, the testers and the inspectors on the project team. It also includes managing any labor subcontracts. However, managing project resources frequently involves more than people management. The project manager must also manage the equipment used for the project and the material needed by the people and equipment assigned to the project. ÃÆ'à ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬Ãâà ¢ People: Project employees , vendor staff, subcontract labor ÃÆ'à ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬Ãâà ¢ Equipment: Cranes, trucks, backhoes, other heavy equipment or Development, test, and staging servers, CD burners or Recording studio, tape decks, mixers, microphones and speakers. ÃÆ'à ¢Ã ¢Ã¢â¬Å¡Ã ¬Ãâà ¢ Material: Concrete, pipe, rebar, insulation or CD blanks, computers, jewel cases, instruction manuals. Managing the people resources means having the right people, with the right skills and the proper tools, in the right quantity at the right time. It also means ensuring that they know what needs to be done, when, and how. And it means motivating them to take ownership in the project too. Team leadership: Team leadership differs from traditional top-down leadership in the following ways: Responsibility for group effectiveness is not on the leaders shoulders but is shared by the group. Control over the final decision is not held by the leader but is best left to the group. The importance of ones position and power are de-emphasized in team leadership. The leader perceives the group not as a set of individuals but as an interacting and collective team. The task-oriented functions of the team are not performed only by the leader but are shared by the entire group through its new roles. Group maintenance functions are not performed systematically but are emphasized and shared by the group as a whole. Socioemotional processes and interactions, while mostly ignored by leaders in top-down settings, are observed closely by team leaders. Expressions of members needs and feelings are not discouraged but are encouraged by team leaders and are dealt with openly in meetings. Planning: Planning in organizations and public policy is both the organizational process of creating and maintaining a plan; and the psychological process of thinking about the activities required to create a desired goal on some scale. As such, it is a fundamental property of intelligent behavior. This thought process is essential to the creation and refinement of a plan, or integration of it with other plans, that is, it combines forecasting of developments with the preparation of scenarios of how to react to them. An important, albeit often ignored aspect of planning, is the relationship it holds with forecasting. Forecasting can be described as predicting what the future will look like, whereas planning predicts what the future should look like. Westfield planning process is good and they implementing the good strategic process to remain successful for long time. They continue this expertise in the can project also. SWOT Analysis Strengths: Westfield was the leading manufacturer of paper tubes for the paper industry. It is the 3rd largest manufacture of composite cans and one of the largest users of waste paper. Price is lower each cans at one and half cent The major advantage of composite cans was that they offered definite cost advantages. Weakness: Packaging innovation was either developed internally or at the instance of a customer. Historically Westfield was thought of as strictly a paper company Opportunities: Westfield had just licensed a plastics forming process, The plastic package was an attractive substitute for composite cans. Plastic packaging provided a functional solution to a long problem. Composite can satisfy the customer demand for convenient, reasonable packaging. Plastic would give Westfield a proprietary technological competitive advantage and provide its customer with a container that Westfields competitors could not offer. Threats The composite cans market had been threatened by alternative packaging type, principally plastic. If the plastic technology cannot be introduced portfolio in the market, the competitors will take the advantage of sneaking market share of Westfield. Take the more effective plasticak technology in time. Competitors can be more effective plastitek technology before the implementation of Westfield technology. As a result the Westfield expected market share can significantly fall. Risk Analysis Business risk Business risk is the uncertainty of income flows caused by the nature of a firms business. The more uncertain the income flows of the firm, the more uncertain the income flows to the investors. Business risk depends on a number of factors that are as follows Demand variability: The more stable the demand for a firms products, other things held constant, the lower its business risk. Sales Variability Variability of Net Income Sales price variability: Firms whose products are sold in highly volatile markets are exposed to more business risk than similar firms whose output prices are more stable. Input cost variability: Firms whose input costs are highly uncertain are exposed to a high degree of business risk. Ability to adjust output prices for changes in input costs: Some firms are better able than others to raise their own output prices when input costs rise. The greater the ability to adjust output prices to reflect cost condition, the lower the business risk. Ability to develop new products in a timely, cost effective manner: Firms in such high-tech industries as drugs and computers depend on a constant stream of new products. The faster its products become obsolete, the greater firms businesses risk. Foreign risk exposure: Firms that generate a high percentage of their earnings overseas are subject to earnings declines due to exchange rate fluctuations. Also, if a firm operates in a poli tically unstable area, it may be subject to political risk. The extent to which cost are fixed (operating leverage): If a high percentage of its costs are fixed, hence do not decline when demand falls, then the firm is exposed to a relatively high degree of business risk. This factor is called operating risk. Financial risk Financial risk is the uncertainty introduced by the method by which the firm finances its assets. If a firm uses only common stock to finance assets, it incurs only business risk. If in addition to using common stock, a firm borrows money to finance investments, it must pay fixed financing charges prior to providing income to the owners. Presently west field, Inc debt is low in so it incurs less financial risk but when the company will go for higher debt to capital structure then it will raise the financial risk. Financial Leverage: Financial leverage is created by sources of financing that have fixed costs such as primarily debt requiring interest payments, preferred stock which obligates the company to make preferred dividend payments, leases which requires specified lease payments. These financing costs effects the companys EPS in the same way that operating fixed cost effects EBIT. The more fixed charge financing the firm uses, the more leverage it will have. The degree of financial leverage is calculated as: The degree of financial leverage reflects the leverage in the firm that is due to the firms financing policy. The effect of financial leverage is to magnify changes in EBIT into larger changes in EPS. The British expression of financial leverage is gearing. DuPont Analysis The importance of ROE as an indicator of performance makes it desirable to divide the ratio into several components that provide insight into the causes of a firms ROE or any changes in it. This breakdown of ROE into components ratios is generally referred to as the Dupont system. To begin, ROE ratio can be broken down into two ratios- net profit margin and equity turnover. Net Income Sales Total Assets Ãâà ¸ Ãâà ¸ Total Debt Total Assets Ãâà ¸ Asset Turnover Profit Margin Financial Plan Return on Assets Ãâà ¸ (1-Debt/Assets) Return on Assets Return on Equity Ãâà ´ = From the figure we can see that Westfields return on equity was 18.29 % in year 1981 and after that return on equity decreased to 13.14 % in 1982 and 14.18% in year 1983. But after that ROE increases and in year 1985 ROE increased to 16.9%. Qualitative Judgment Price -Quality- Service Relationship If Westfield can ensure better quality service than other competitors it can charge little bit higher price. Competitive advantage Plastitek would give Westfield a proprietary technological competitive advantage and provide its customers with a container that Westfields competitors could not offer. Market Share Westfield already holding 23% market share of the total FCJ market. As their strategy in case of plastitek is proactive rather than reactive, so it has an opportunity to charge a higher price. Findings If Westfield launch Plastitek at the prevailing price of composite cans it can earn after tax ROI of 12.5% over the estimated eight year life of the project. If the projects life is stretched for further two years past its eight year estimated life it can earn on an average ROI of 13.67% over the life of the project. To meet the target after tax ROI of 15% Westfield would have to charge a price of $53.75 per thousand units that is $ 1.41 ( $ 53.75-$ 52.34) higher than the prevailing price of composite cans. NPV of the Plastitek project (at the prevailing price of composite cans For the estimated eight year life $ 847.39 thousands For 2 years past estimated eight year life $2394.57 thousands 5. IRR of the Plastitek project (at the prevailing price of the composite can) For the estimated eight year life 18.9% For 2 years past estimated eight year life 21.39% 6. NPV of the Plastitek project (at the new price of $ 53.75 per thousands) For the estimated eight year life $ 2763.29 thousands For 2 years past estimated eight year life $4514.86 thousands 7. IRR of the Plastitek project ( at the new price of $53.75 thousands) For the estimated eight year life 18.9% For 2 years past estimated eight year life 21.39% Recommendation Composite can project should be replaced by innovative Plastitek technology and will charge a price of $ 53.75 per thousands of cans. Justification Targeted after tax ROI could be ensured with charging little bit higher price or premium of $ 1.41 than prevailing price (per thousand cans) to make the project economically feasible. Expected NPV with different scenarios is positive. Expected NPV with additional risk and inflation adjusted WACC is positive. The premium adjusted price that has ensured the targeted return would be quite possible because of Quality services provided by west field Introduction of innovative packaging system that would enhance price level through differentiating customers product than other competitors via increasing demand for Westfields plastitek packaging system. The tendency of moving toward plastic packaging of the industries that could provide the opportunity of price premium via increasing demand. IRR is higher than risk and inflation adjusted WACC Conclusion It could be expected that projects are managed and therefore that management theory would apply to the management of projects but this research has revealed that the commercial nature of the origin of management and the industrial nature of the origin of projects has kept these two theories on separate paths. Of particular interest has been the discovery that neither management nor project management, despite their importance to society and longevity of application, have to date not been ascribed professional status. That is to say no formal accredited body represents the profession in either case. If one is to consider that these two occupations are responsibly for practically all of wealth production and consumption, then greater is the surprise that no governing body exists.
Saturday, May 9, 2020
Animal Testing On Cosmetics Its Not Necessary - 1620 Words
ââ¬Å"100,000-200,000 animals suffer and die just for cosmetics every year around the world.â⬠(Humanesociety.org). Majority of these innocent animals ends up dying for no absolute reason at all also. Animal testing in cosmetics is a problem all around the world, but especially in the US. These animals need our help. Animal testing on cosmetics is nothing new in the US; animals have been getting tested on since the beginning of time. Whatââ¬â¢s different about cosmetics testing is that itââ¬â¢s not necessary. Thereââ¬â¢s no scientific breakthrough from this type of testing, new mascara and eyeliner is what comes out of this. A life is more precious than any form of cosmetics. A cosmetic can be anything from face and eye makeup to hair products and skincare. Every year there are thousands of new cosmetic products out on the market in the US. There are more than enough new cosmetics on the market and more than enough options. America has enough products and doesnââ¬â¢t need to be creating new ones at the expense of more animalsââ¬â¢ lives. Animal testing is cruel but also not reasonable. We have the alternatives to shut down animal testing completely and get more accurate results. Animal testing in cosmetics should be a thing of the past but is still a very real problem that needs to be addressed. Companies and the public think animal testing isnââ¬â¢t a real issue and that the results from animal testing is more accurate and safe than the other cruelty free alternatives on the market, although there areShow MoreRelatedEssay on Animal Testing1107 Words à |à 5 Pageshumans use animals for testing each year. Animal testing is when the animals are put through something or injected to see how they react to what medical research they have been used for. Its impossible to know exactly how many animals are being used in research because U.S. laws do not require scientists to report how many mice, rats, or birds they use, but itââ¬â¢s estimat ed that 90% of lab animals are mice and rats. Itââ¬â¢s crucial that everyone know why animals should not be used for testing of harmfulRead MoreShould Animal Testing Be Banned?844 Words à |à 3 PagesShould animal testing be banned? Nowadays, a lot of animals has been tested on a range of experiments over the world. You could be supporting animal teasing cruelty without knowing it. Have you ever check if thereââ¬â¢s animal testing on the cosmetics before you buy it? Today, a lot of cosmetics has been testing on helpless animals and there are about 1.4 million animals die each year from animal testing ( CatalanoJ, 1994). Most of the experiments that are completed in the laboratories are very cruelRead MorePersuasive essay against animal testing764 Words à |à 4 Pagesagainst Animal Testing Abraham Lincoln once said, ââ¬Å"I am in favour of animal rights as well as human rights. That is the way of a whole human being.â⬠à I couldnââ¬â¢t agree more with this statement as I do not believe that animal testing is right and I am totally against it. One of the main reasons I am against animal testing is the fact that the animals donââ¬â¢t have a choice and are being forced to be tested, which can lead to them getting seriously ill or dying as a cause of the testing. Each yearRead MorePersuasive Essay On Animal Testing748 Words à |à 3 PagesAnimal Testing, what is it? On dictionary.com the definition for animal testing is, ââ¬Å"noun; The use of non-human animals in research and development projects, esp. for purposes of determining the safety of substances such as foods or drugsâ⬠So what does that tell us? That Animal testing is okay, and a good thing for scientific research, right? Well in some cases, using lab rats is for a good cause, to test things out and see whatââ¬â¢s cures what, but companies such as Loreal, Lââ¬â¢Orà ©al, Maybelline, WindexRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned866 Words à |à 4 Pagesdebate whether animal testing should be banned or continued. Many scientists believe that a human ââ¬â¢s life is superior to an animalââ¬â¢s life. Others, like me, believe that animal testing is good for medicine use and not cosmetics. In my prospective, as well as many others will agree, beauty is far less important than a living creature. For centuries now, animal testing has helped scientist develop new cures for diseases, health conditions and even the development of new technology. Animal testing has beenRead MoreArgumentative Essay On Animal Testing1485 Words à |à 6 Pagesinhale toxic gases. This is just a couple examples of the pain and suffering animals go through while being experimented on. Experimentation can be defined as a process that performs a scientific procedure that usually takes place in the lab to dictate something. Animal experimentation is unethical because of the many terrible tests conducted, itââ¬â¢s cruel, animals are equivalent to humans, and itââ¬â¢s not necessary. Animal testing has been around for a long time. Going all the way back to 384 - 322 BCRead MoreAnimal Testing Persuasive Essay1402 Words à |à 6 Pagesangers me more, than people working in companies, factories, laboratories, and even in the comfort of their home to use innocent animals to test human products. They continue to test out these products on animals, even after it has been proven that in almost all cases, animal testing has no benefit on us as buyers or consumers. I have found that laboratories are using many animals that are considered as pets to families, such as mice and rats, rabbits, and even guinea pigs. They are forcefully using themRead MoreEssay about The Truth about Animal Testing 1073 Words à |à 5 Pagesother animals are locked inside cold, barren cages, in laboratories across the country. They ache in loneliness, and long to roam free and use their minds. Instead all they can do is wait in fear of the next terrifying and painful procedure that will be p erformed on them,â⬠is the opening statement on the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or more commonly PETA, website. An estimated 29 million animals are used in scientific and commercial testing each year in the United States. Animal testingRead MoreThe Truth About Animal Testing1417 Words à |à 6 Pagesabout Animal Testing In 2012, a 24-year-old art student named Jacqueline Traide was subjected to animal testing methods in a Lush store window. Passerby ââ¬â as well as the rest of the world, after this story was spread ââ¬â were baffled and sickened by how this young woman was treated, enduring being pulled around by a rope, physical restraint, having cosmetics poured into her eyes, being shaven and more (Harris). She participated in this appalling display to portray the reality of animal testing torturesRead MoreAnimal Testing Should Be Banned1300 Words à |à 6 PagesIn todayââ¬â¢s cosmetics industry, many ordinary animals, such as dogs, cats, rabbits, and monkeys, are being subjected to animal testing on products that could potential benefit a personââ¬â¢s complexion. Such animals are often chosen, because their DNA is genetically very similar to humans, and thus could be used for testing. The extensive procedures to testing various merchandises could potentially harm the animals durin g the process, because there are multiple trials to see whether or not the product
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Nike Ppt Free Essays
ââ¬Å"Greeks say when we go to battle and win,we say it is NIKEâ⬠INTRODUCTION TO NIKE â⬠¢ Est. in 1960 in Oregon â⬠¢ Phil knight and Bowerman- founder â⬠¢ Started small and now has covered U. S and international markets â⬠¢ Nike is now one of the biggest mfd. We will write a custom essay sample on Nike Ppt or any similar topic only for you Order Now Of the world BACKGROUND â⬠¢ Most of the factories are located in Asia including Indonesia,China,Taiwan,India Thailand,Veitnam,Pakistan ,Philippines and Malaysia â⬠¢ Nike outsourcing contracts around 500 factories in 45 countries. Nike currently controls more than 45% of the US sportswear market. Background cont. â⬠¢ The company initially operated as a distributor for Japanese shoe maker Onitsuka Tiger, making most sales at track meets out of Knightââ¬â¢s automobile. â⬠¢ The companyââ¬â¢s profits grew quickly, and in 1966, BRS opened its first retail store, located on Pico Boulevard in Santa Monica, California. By 1971, the relationship between BRS and Onitsuka Tiger was nearing an end. ANALYSIS OF CASE STUDY â⬠¢ Child labour â⬠¢ Not satisfying customer needs â⬠¢ Ignorance of mkt. trends Accusations In 1996-1997, Nike was accused of labor violations and human rights abuses in foreign countries (mainly Asian). Contrary Evidences â⬠¢ Thousands of mostly young, female workers in Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, China) were being exposed to reproductive toxins and suspected carcinogens. â⬠¢ Some workers were not earning a ââ¬Å"living wageâ⬠even though they work oftentimes 12 to 14 hours per day. â⬠¢ Nike workers in Southeast Asia have suffered corporal punishment and corporal abuse. â⬠¢ Nike young female workers have suffered sexual harassment. Nike workers in Southeast Asia have been forced to work overtime in violation of applicable laws. Core issue of Nike NIKE PRATICES CHILD LABOUR â⬠¢ Children are not only the easiest to intimidate, theyââ¬â¢re also the cheapest workers. Twelve-year-old Tariq, one of thousands employed in Pakistanââ¬â¢s soccer ball industry, which produces five million balls a year for the U. S. market, stitches leather piec es in Mahotra. He earns 60 cents a ball, and it takes most of a day to make one (Schanberg, 1996: 38). Silgi is only three. Her hands are so tiny she canââ¬â¢t handle a scissors. But she started stitching soccer balls recently to help her mother and four sisters. Together they earn 75 cents a day working in their shanty home in Jullundur, India (Sidebar to Life Magazine Story, p 41 NOTE: There is a photo (Source) of a young girl dressed in town and soiled clothing next to the soccer ball clutching a needle and thread. The needle is longer than her fingers. â⬠¢ CONSEQUENCES Nike executives have been targets at public place â⬠¢ Students have pressed administrators and athletic directors to ban products that have been made under ââ¬Å"sweatshopâ⬠conditions â⬠¢ In 2002 an individual sued Nike, alleging that the company knowingly made false and misleading statements in its denial of direct participation in abusive labor conditions abroad. REMEDIES â⬠¢ Nike defended, through corporate news releases, full-page ads in major newspapers, and letters to editors â⬠¢ Nike gave $1. million to the Washington D. C. based Fair Labor Association (FLA) â⬠¢ In 2003, company employed 86 compliance officer â⬠¢ But stigma of past practices remains emblazoned on its image and brand name. Nikeââ¬â¢s Responses â⬠¢ Nike responded withâ⬠¦ ââ¬â Press releases ââ¬â Letters to the newspaper ââ¬â Personal letters to university presidents and athletic directors ââ¬â Campus Visits ââ¬â Independent audit of factories ââ¬â Speak at conferences COMPILED BY AKRITI JHA DEEPTI SINGH TRIPTI SINGH How to cite Nike Ppt, Papers
Tuesday, April 28, 2020
Passive Voice Evasions and Writing Problems
Even without meaning to, writers have a way of letting passive voice sneak into their sentences. It can be hard to avoid. It creeps up for several reasons. Sometimes its to avoid assigning blame. Other times its when were trying to avoid committing other grammar mistakes such as using ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠or ââ¬Å"weâ⬠. Passive voice is when a sentence starts with the object and not the subject of an action. For example, ââ¬Å"Money must be saved for the trip.â⬠Who should be saving the money? The subject is missing. Good writing is active. Active sentences engage the reader with direct language. Theyre also easier to understand: ââ¬Å"Carla must save money for the trip.â⬠There, now you understand who is saving money and why. Here are some common passive voice evasions, how to fix them plus some other common writing errors to avoid: Using passive voice to avoid using ââ¬Å"Iâ⬠or ââ¬Å"weâ⬠Instead of: It is estimated that over 50% of families will be affected by the change. Change to: We estimate that over 50% of families will be affected by the change. Instead of: During the expedition, a discovery was made that could change our perception of history. Change to: During the expedition, we made a discovery that could change our perception of history. There are lots of other examples of passive voice that dont include such obvious omissions. In fact, the majority of passive voice sentences have all the information needed, but continue to use passive voice. For example Instead of: Gifts were given by the United Way to the children of the village. Change to: The United Way gave gifts to the children of the village. Instead of: A masterpiece was painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Change to: Michelangelo painted a masterpiece on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Instead of: Instructions will be sent to you by the hiring manager. Change to: The hiring manager will send you instructions. Instead of: The ball was thrown to John by Simon. Change to: Simon threw the ball to John. If you happen to be a passive voice fan, be aware that its not considered good English. Writers from William Strunk Jr., George Orwell and Stephen King, have warned writers to avoid it. Some other common writing errors to watch for: Subject-verb agreement Within a sentence. Be sure that your verb is in agreement with the subject for your sentence. Check out this guide for the most common subject verb agreement pitfalls. Within a paper. Stick with the same subject throughout the paper. Dont suddenly switch from third (he, she, they) to second (you) or vice versa. Cliches Dont use them. They can be an eyesore to the professor reading your paper. If you come across a clichà © in your paper, go back and find another way to express the same idea. Check this comprehensive list of cliches to make sure your not using them. Sentence fragments Sentence fragments are when a group of words are a dependent clause acting as though they were an independent clause. For example: Jim thought he had locked the door. But no. The second sentence ââ¬Å"But noâ⬠is a sentence fragment and not a full sentence. Change to: Jim thought he had locked the door, but he hadnt. When you finish writing a paper, make editing a priority. A lot of common grammar and writing mistakes can be caught and corrected with careful editing. Good luck and happy writing!
Friday, March 20, 2020
The Nazi Party essays
The Nazi Party essays The assignment of reporting how a news story relates to the aspect of management in the business world really consists of how the chain of command works and how the orders follow that chain. After searching for a story worthy of a summary of such, I found a perfect example to illustrate the chain of command. This particular article is about the European company called Volkswagen AG, which is Europes largest automaker. The automaker reported on September 1st, that forty percent of this years annual bonus for senior management will be dependant on EVA or economic value added; this is the term for the profitability of the returns above the cost of capital. The companys reasoning for doing so is that they expect this to force management to make better decisions or more intelligent and secure ones at least. Now that their bonus checks depend upon the well being of the company and the well being of the company depends upon their choices financially. This policy greatly changes things within the company, ranging from the highest senior managers to the lowest of the assembly line workers. The attitude of the chain of power may grow more positive or it may have just the opposite affect. For example, management may just tighten the screws on everyone underneath them, which by the time it hits the bottom rung of the corporate ladder, can be quite demanding. The other scenario could be that the senior managers could start to really put more heart and effort into bettering the companys position in the business world. This case would turn out to be the most beneficial to all that are involved. To make such an adjustment as this, can and will affect every last member of the company, even though the policy change only directly affects the higher managers of the business. So in the end, management has responsibility and stress involved in their position, but they also have the power to change the entire...
Tuesday, March 3, 2020
The History of the English Language
The History of the English Language The story of English- from its start in a jumble of West Germanic dialects to its role today as a global language- is both fascinating and complex. This timeline offers a glimpse at some of the key events that helped to shape the English language over the past 1,500 years. To learn more about the ways that English evolved in Britain and then spread around the world, check out The History of English in 10 Minutes, an amusing video produced by the Open University. The Prehistory of English The ultimate origins of English lie in Indo-European, a family of languages consisting of most of the languages of Europe as well as those of Iran, the Indian subcontinent, and other parts of Asia. Because little is known about ancient Indo-European (which may have been spoken as long ago as 3,000 B.C.), well begin our survey in Britain in the first century A.D. 43- The Romans invade Britain, beginning 400 years of control over much of the island.410- The Goths (speakers of a now extinct East Germanic language) sack Rome. The first Germanic tribes arrive in Britain.Early 5th century- With the collapse of the empire, Romans withdraw from Britain. Britons are attacked by the Picts and by Scots from Ireland. Angles, Saxons, and other German settlers arrive in Britain to assist the Britons and claim territory.5th-6th centuries- Germanic peoples (Angles, Saxons, Jutes, Frisians) speaking West Germanic dialects settle most of Britain. Celts retreat to distant areas of Britain: Ireland, Scotland, Wales. 500-1100: The Old English (or Anglo-Saxon) Period The conquest of the Celtic population in Britain by speakers of West Germanic dialects (primarily Angles, Saxons, and Jutes) eventually determined many of the essential characteristics of the English language. (The Celtic influence on English survives for the most part only in place names- London, Dover, Avon, York.) Over time the dialects of the various invaders merged, giving rise to what we now call Old English. Late 6th century- Ethelbert, the King of Kent, is baptized. He is the first English king to convert to Christianity.7th century- Rise of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex; the Saxon kingdoms of Essex and Middlesex; the Angle kingdoms of Mercia, East Anglia, and Northumbria. St. Augustine and Irish missionaries convert Anglo-Saxons to Christianity, introducing new religious words borrowed from Latin and Greek. Latin speakers begin referring to the country as Anglia and later as Englaland.673- Birth of the Venerable Bede, the monk who composed (in Latin) The Ecclesiastical History of the English People (c. 731), a key source of information about Anglo Saxon settlement.700- Approximate date of the earliest manuscript records of Old English.Late 8th century- Scandinavians begin to settle in Britain and Ireland; Danes settle in parts of Ireland.Early 9th century- Egbert of Wessex incorporates Cornwall into his kingdom and is recognized as overlord of the seven kingdoms of the Angles and Saxons (the Heptarchy): England begins to emerge. Mid 9th century- Danes raid England, occupy Northumbria, and establish a kingdom at York. Danish begins to influence English.Late 9th century- King Alfred of Wessex (Alfred the Great) leads the Anglo-Saxons to victory over the Vikings, translates Latin works into English and establishes the writing of prose in English. He uses the English language to foster a sense of national identity. England is divided into a kingdom ruled by the Anglo-Saxons (under Alfred) and another ruled by the Scandinavians.10th century- English and Danes mix fairly peacefully, and many Scandinavian (or Old Norse) loanwords enter the language, including such common words as sister, wish, skin, and die.1000- Approximate date of the only surviving manuscript of the Old English epic poem Beowulf, composed by an anonymous poet between the 8th century and the early 11th century.Early 11th century- Danes attack England, and the English king (Ethelred the Unready) escapes to Normandy. The Battle of Maldon becomes th e subject of one of the few surviving poems in Old English. The Danish king (Canute) rules over England and encourages the growth of Anglo-Saxon culture and literature. Mid 11th century- Edward the Confessor, King of England who was raised in Normandy, names William, Duke of Normandy, as his heir.1066- The Norman Invasion: King Harold is killed at the Battle of Hastings, and William of Normandy is crowned King of England. Over succeeding decades, Norman French becomes the language of the courts and of the upper classes; English remains the language of the majority. Latin is used in churches and schools. For the next century, English, for all practical purposes, is no longer a written language. 1100-1500: The Middle English Period The Middle English period saw the breakdown of the inflectional system of Old English and the expansion of vocabulary with many borrowings from French and Latin. 1150- Approximate date of the earliest surviving texts in Middle English.1171- Henry II declares himself overlord of Ireland, introducing Norman French and English to the country. About this time the University of Oxford is founded.1204- King John loses control of the Duchy of Normandy and other French lands; England is now the only home of the Norman French/English.1209- The University of Cambridge is formed by scholars from Oxford.1215- King John signs the Magna Carta (Great Charter), a critical document in the long historical process leading to the rule of constitutional law in the English-speaking world.1258- King Henry III is forced to accept the Provisions of Oxford, which establish a Privy Council to oversee the administration of the government. These documents, though annulled a few years later, are generally regarded as Englands first written constitution.Late 13th century- Under Edward I, royal authority is consolidated in England and Wales. English becomes the dominant lan guage of all classes. Mid to late 14th century- The Hundred Years War between England and France leads to the loss of almost all of Englands French possessions. The Black Death kills roughly one-third of Englands population. Geoffrey Chaucer composes The Canterbury Tales in Middle English. English becomes the official language of the law courts and replaces Latin as the medium of instruction at most schools. John Wycliffes English translation of the Latin Bible is published. The Great Vowel Shift begins, marking the loss of the so-called pure vowel sounds (which are still found in many continental languages) and the loss of the phonetic pairings of most long and short vowel sounds.1362- The Statute of Pleading makes English the official language in England. Parliament is opened with its first speech delivered in English.1399 At his coronation, King Henry IV becomes the first English monarch to deliver a speech in English.Late 15th century- William Caxton brings to Westminster (from the Rhineland) the firs t printing press and publishes Chaucers The Canterbury Tales. Literacy rates increase significantly, and printers begin to standardize English spelling. The monk Galfridus Grammaticus (also known as Geoffrey the Grammarian) publishes Thesaurus Linguae Romanae et Britannicae, the first English-to-Latin wordbook. 1500 to the Present: Theà Modern Englishà Period Distinctions are commonly drawn between the Early Modern Period (1500-1800) and Late Modern English (1800 to the present). During the period of Modern English, British exploration, colonization, and overseas trade hastened the acquisition ofà loanwordsà from countless other languages and fostered the development of new varieties of English (World English), each with its own nuances ofà vocabulary,à grammar, andà pronunciation. Since the middle of the 20th century, the expansion of North American business and media around the world has led to the emergence ofà Global Englishà as aà lingua franca. Early 16th century- The first English settlements are made in North America. William Tyndales English translation of the Bible is published. Many Greek and Latinà borrowingsà enter English.1542- In hisà Fyrst Boke of the Introduction of Knowledge, Andrew Boorde illustrates regionalà dialects.1549- The first version of the Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England is published.1553- Thomas Wilson publishesà The Art of Rhetorique, one of the first works onà logicà andà rhetoricà in English.1577- Henry Peacham publishesà The Garden of Eloquence, a treatise on rhetoric.1586- The firstà grammarà of English- William Bullokarsà Pamphlet for Grammar- is published.1588- Elizabeth I begins her 45-year reign as queen of England. The British defeat the Spanish Armada, boosting national pride and enhancing the legend of Queen Elizabeth.1589- The Art of English Poesieà (attributed to George Puttenham) is published.1590-1611- William Shakespeare writes hisà Sonnet sà and the majority of his plays.1600- The East India Company is chartered to promote trade with Asia, eventually leading to the establishment of the British Raj in India. 1603- Queen Elizabeth dies and James I (James VI of Scotland) accedes to the throne.1604- Robert Cawdreysà Table Alphabeticall, the first Englishà dictionary, is published.à 1607- The first permanent English settlement in America is established at Jamestown, Virginia.1611- The Authorized Version of the English Bible (the King James Bible) is published, greatly influencing the development of the written language.1619- The first African slaves in North America arrive in Virginia.1622- Weekly News, the first English newspaper, is published in London.1623- The First Folio edition of Shakespeares plays is published.1642- Civil War breaks out in England after King Charles I attempts to arrest his parliamentary critics. The war leads to the execution of Charles I, the dissolution of parliament, and the replacement of the English monarchy with a Protectorate (1653ââ¬â59) under Oliver Cromwells rule.1660- The monarchy is restored; Charles II is proclaimed king.1662- The Royal Societ y of London appoints a committee to consider ways of improving English as a language of science. 1666- The Great Fire of London destroys most of the City of London inside the old Roman City Wall.1667- John Milton publishes his epic poemà Paradise Lost.1670- The Hudsons Bay Company is chartered for promoting trade and settlement in Canada.1688- Aphra Behn, the first woman novelist in England, publishesà Oroonoko, or the History of the Royal Slave.1697- In hisà Essay Upon Projects,à Daniel Defoeà calls for the creation of an Academy of 36 gentlemen to dictate Englishà usage.1702- The Daily Courant, the first regular daily newspaper in English, is published in London.1707- The Act of Union unites the Parliaments of England andà Scotland, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain.1709- The first Copyright Act is enacted in England.1712- Anglo-Irish satirist and clericà Jonathan Swiftà proposes the creation of an English Academy to regulate Englishà usageà and ascertain the language.1719- Daniel Defoe publishesà Robinson Crusoe, considered by some to be the first modern English novel.1721- Nathaniel Bailey publishes hisà Universal Etymological Dictionary of the English Language, a pioneer study in Englishà lexicography: the first to feature currentà usage,à etymology,à syllabification, clarifyingà quotations, illustrations, and indications ofà pronunciation. 1715- Elisabeth Elstob publishes the first grammar of Old English.1755- Samuel Johnsonà publishes his two-volumeà Dictionary of the English Language.1760-1795- This period marks the rise of the English grammarians (Joseph Priestly, Robert Lowth, James Buchanan, John Ash, Thomas Sheridan, George Campbell, William Ward, and Lindley Murray), whose rule books, primarily based onà prescriptiveà notions of grammar, become increasingly popular.à 1762- Robert Lowth publishes hisà Short Introduction to English Grammar.1776- Theà Declaration of Independenceà is signed, and the American War of Independence begins, leading to the creation of the United States of America, the first country outside the British Isles with English as its principal language.1776- George Campbell publishesà The Philosophy of Rhetoric.1783- Noah Websterà publishes hisà American Spelling Book.1785- The Daily Universal Registerà (renamedà The Timesà in 1788) begins publication in London.1788- The English first settle inà Australia, near present-day Sydney. 1789- Noah Webster publishesà Dissertations on the English Language, which advocates anà American standard of usage.1791- The Observer, the oldest national Sunday newspaper in Britain, begins publication.Early 19th century- Grimms Lawà (discovered by Friedrich von Schlegel and Rasmus Rask, later elaborated by Jacob Grimm) identifies relationships between certainà consonantsà in Germanic languages (including English) and their originals in Indo-European. The formulation of Grimms Law marks a major advance in the development ofà linguisticsà as a scholarly field of study.1803- The Act of Union incorporates Ireland into Britain, creating the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland.1806- The British occupy Cape Colony in South Africa.1810- William Hazlittà publishesà A New and Improved Grammar of the English Language.ââ¬â¹1816- John Pickering compiles the first dictionary ofà Americanisms.1828- Noah Webster publishes hisà American Dictionary of the English La nguage. Richard Whateley publishesà Elements of Rhetoric. 1840- The native Maori inà New Zealandà cede sovereignty to the British.1842- The London Philological Society is founded.1844- The telegraph is invented by Samuel Morse, inaugurating the development of rapid communication, a major influence on the growth and spread of English.Mid 19th century- Aà standard variety of American Englishà develops. English is established inà Australia,à South Africa,à India, and other British colonial outposts.1852- The first edition ofà Rogets Thesaurusà is published.1866- James Russell Lowell champions the use of Americanà regionalisms, helping to end deference to theà Received British Standard. Alexander Bain publishesà English Composition and Rhetoric. The transatlantic telegraph cable is completed.1876- Alexander Graham Bell invents the telephone, thus modernizing private communication.1879- James A.H. Murray begins editing the Philological Societysà New English Dictionary on Historical Principlesà (later renamed theà Ox ford English Dictionary).1884/1885- Mark Twainsà novelà The Adventures of Huckleberry Finnà introduces aà colloquialà proseà styleà that significantly influences the writing of fiction in the U.S. 1901- The Commonwealth of Australia is established as a dominion of the British Empire.1906- Henry and Francis Fowler publish the first edition ofà The Kings English.1907- New Zealand is established as a dominion of the British Empire.1919- H.L. Menckenà publishes the first edition ofà The American Language, a pioneer study in the history of a major national version of English.1920- The first American commercial radio station begins operating in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.1921- Irelandà achieves Home Rule, and Gaelic is made an official language in addition to English.1922- The British Broadcasting Company (later renamed the British Broadcasting Corporation, orà BBC) is established.1925- The New Yorkerà magazine is founded byà Harold Rossà and Jane Grant.1925- George P. Krapp publishes his two-volumeà The English Language in America, the first comprehensive and scholarly treatment of the subject.1926- Henry Fowler publishes the first edition of hisà Dictionary of Mo dern English Usage.1927- The first speaking motion picture,à The Jazz Singer, is released. 1928- The Oxford English Dictionaryà is published.1930- British linguist C.K. Ogden introducesà Basic English.1936- The first television service is established by the BBC.1939- World War II begins.1945- World War II ends. The Allied victory contributes to the growth of English as aà lingua franca.1946- The Philippinesà gains its independence from the U.S.1947- India is freed from British control and divided into Pakistan and India. Theà constitutionà provides that English remain the official language for 15 years. New Zealand gains its independence from the U.K. and joins the Commonwealth.1949- Hans Kurath publishesà A Word Geography of the Eastern United States, a landmark in the scientific study of Americanà regionalisms.1950- Kenneth Burkeà publishesà A Rhetoric of Motives.1950s- The number of speakers usingà English as a second languageà exceeds the number ofà native speakers.1957- Noam Chomskyà publishesà Syntactic Structures, a key document in the study ofà generativeà andà transformational grammar.1961- Websters Third New International Dictionaryà is published. 1967- The Welsh Language Act gives the Welsh language equal validity withà English in Wales, and Wales is no longer considered a part of England. Henry Kucera and Nelson Francis publishà Computational Analysis of Present-Day American English, a landmark in modernà corpus linguistics.1969- Canadaà officially becomes bilingual (French and English). The first major English dictionary to use corpus linguistics- The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language- is published.1972- A Grammar of Contemporary Englishà (by Randolph Quirk, Sidney Greenbaum, Geoffrey Leech, and Jan Svartvik) is published. The first call on a personal cell phone is made. The firstà emailà is sent.1978- The Linguistic Atlas of Englandà is published.1981- The first issue of the journalà World Englishesà is published.1985- A Comprehensive Grammar of the English Languageà is published by Longman. The first edition of M.A.K. Hallidaysà An Introduction to Functional Grammarà is publish ed.1988- The Internet (under development for more than 20 years) is opened to commercial interests. 1989- The second edition ofà The Oxford English Dictionaryà is published.1993- Mosaic, the web browser credited with popularizing the World Wide Web, is released. (Netscape Navigator becomes available in 1994, Yahoo! in 1995, and Google in 1998.)1994- Text messagingà is introduced, and the first modern blogs go online.1995- David Crystal publishesà The Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language.1997- The first social networking site (SixDegrees.com) is launched. (Friendster is introduced in 2002, and both MySpace and Facebook begin operating in 2004.)2000- The Oxford English Dictionary Online (OED Online) is made available to subscribers.2002- Rodney Huddleston and Geoffrey K. Pullum publishà The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Tom McArthur publishesà The Oxford Guide to World English.2006- Twitter, a social networking and microblogging service, is created by Jack Dorsey.2009- The two-volumeà Historical Thesaurus of the Oxford English Dictionaryà is pub lished by Oxford University Press.2012- The fifth volume (SI-Z) of theà Dictionary of American Regional Englishà (DAREà ) is published by Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Resources and Further Reading Algeo, John.à The Origins and Development of the English Language, 6th edition. Wadsworth, 2009.Baugh, Albert C., and Thomas Cable.à A History of the English Language, 5th edition. Prentice Hall, 2001.Bragg, Melvyn.à The Adventure of English: The Biography of a Language. Hodder Stoughton, 2003.Crystal, David.à The English Language. Penguin, 2002.Gooden, Philip.à The Story of English: How the English Language Conquered the World. Quercus, 2009.Hogg, Richard M., and David Dennison, editors.à A History of the English Language. Cambridge University Press, 2006.Horobin, Simon.à How English Became English: A Short History of a Global Language. Oxford University Press, 2016.Lerer, Seth.à Inventing English: A Portable History of the Language. Columbia University Press, 2007.McArthur, Tom.à The Oxford Companion to the English Language. Oxford University Press, 1992.McWhorter, John.à Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold Story of English. Gotham, 2008.Millward, C.M., and Mary Hayes.à A Biography of the English Language, 3rdà ed. Wadsworth, 2011. Mugglestone, Linda.à The Oxford History of English. Oxford University Press, 2006.Nist, John.à A Structural History of English. St. Martins Press, 1966.
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